Waging War On Our Bodies – Acceptance and Diversity

In the May issue of “Today’s Dietitian” Green Mountain friend, Kindy Peaslee, RD has authored a terrific article entitled, “Dieting – At War with out Bodies, Celebrating Body Acceptance and Diversity”. Kindy speaks eloquently about how so many otherwise, enlightened women continue to live in a restrictive mindset while they still embrace dieting. Clinging to their individual dieting panacea’s like the newest and trendiest handbag.

To this end there is a movement underway. Not such a new concept for those within our industry, but to the general public, a movement some might describe as radical. Green Mountain at Fox Run has been a pioneer in the non-diet approach to healthy weights since 1973. And today, there are many who believe and support the idea that a non-diet approach to eating and weight management speaks most effectively to women who are tired of struggling with their weight.

To prove that the belief that diets don’t work is worldwide, in May we celebrated the 15th annual International Non Diet Day. Hats off to, Mary Evans Young, the director of the Canadian campaign, Diet Breakers and the author of “Diet Breaking: Having It All Without Having To Diet!”, who started INDD in 1992.

From Kindy’s article, here are the goals of the INDD:
• Increasing public awareness of the dangers and futility of dieting, weight-loss surgery and obsession with thinness;
• Affirming that beauty, health, and fitness come in all sizes;
• Affirming everyone’s right to eat normally and enjoy physical activity and emotional well-being; and
• Helping change the way people of larger sizes are perceived and treated by society.

More recently, is an organization which supports the idea that healthy bodies come in all sizes and shapes. Health at Every Size (HAES) appreciates that battling eating and weight related issues are complex and promotes healthy eating and fitness as a means to reaching your own individual path to wellness.

It seems with a movement that is growing stronger every day that we would be able to reach women who are tired of struggling with their weight and help them regain the courage to love themselves where they are -today. And from that place, we may finally be able to make peace with our bodies, our minds and our spirit.

Resources:

Kindy R. Peaslee, RD, is the founder of Kindy Creek Promotions. She can be reached at kindy@kindycreek.com

International NO DIET Day (INDD) links: To view DVD trailer
Of Dieting: At War with our Bodies. Details of press release on INDD